Dell Weighs Possible I.P.O. or Merger With VMware

By Reuters

Feb. 2, 2018

The computer maker Dell Technologies said on Friday that it was considering a public offering of its common stock or a combination with its publicly held subsidiary VMware, a maker of business software, as it seeks new avenues for growth.

“As part of our ongoing multiyear strategic planning, Dell Technologies is evaluating a number of potential business opportunities,” Michael Dell, the company’s founder, said in a blog post.

Reuters reported on Thursday that Dell planned to consider a possible reverse merger with VMware among other options, including an initial public offering or sales of assets.

Dell, which is based in Round Rock, Tex., went private five years ago in a $24.9 billion deal with private equity firm Silver Lake Partners. The company said on Friday that nothing had been decided and that the company might end up continuing to operate under its current structure.

Shares in VMware, 82 percent of which is owned by Dell, were essentially flat in trading as of midday on Friday.

VMware said in a statement that it would not speculate on the outcome of Dell’s review.

"The board of directors follows sound corporate governance practices, and will continue to do so in connection with any potential transaction involving our controlling stockholders,” Paul Sagan, the company’s lead director, said in the statement.